Home for Christmas
by Moonprincess92
Summary: "Molly hated Christmas." Molly sits alone, wishing her children would come home. :Oneshot slight Arthur/Molly xmas special 08:


**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Molly, Arthur, or Christmas.

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Home for Christmas.

Blurb …

"Molly hated Christmas." Molly sits alone, wishing her children would come home. :Oneshot slight Arthur/Molly Xmas 08:

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Molly hated Christmas.

Well, maybe that was a bit harsh. She seriously disliked Christmas, perhaps. It had never been her favourite holiday, at any rate. Sighing, Molly poked the chicken roasting away in the oven, making sure it was kept at the same temperature. She wasn't entirely sure why she was cooking a whole chicken for only two people-herself, and her husband.

It was Christmas Eve, yet the Burrow was the emptiest it had been in years. Bill and Fleur were at Shell Cottage, with the assurances that they'd be at the Burrow for dinner tomorrow, as Fleur was expecting a little girl and wanted to rest. Charlie had gone back to Romania, insisting he'd been away from work for too long. Percy had just moved back to his apartment in London, George … well, George was busy trying to preoccupy himself at his shop, probably trying not to think about the fact that this would be their first Christmas without Fred.

Molly sighed again just thinking about it. They all missed Fred, but all of her children were grown up now, and seemed to be getting along just fine. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sharing a small flat together that they'd just bought, and as much as Molly had disapproved, Ginny was sleeping over there as she had came home for the holiday's after being physically forced onto the Hogwarts Express for her 7th Year.

Even her little Ginny wasn't home for Christmas.

Molly felt like crying as she sat down at the little table in her kitchen. There used to be a point in time where this table had been full of people. Now, there was just her. The contrast was impossible to ignore, and not even the now spitting chicken in the oven could distract her.

She just wanted her babies' home for Christmas-surely that wasn't too much to ask?

Molly didn't like Christmas in the normal sense-Christmas meant Bill and Charlie sending home cards, apologising for not being there, the twins whining, Ginny crying, food to cook, presents to buy (or make), and kids to entertain without burning anything. It was too much effort.

"Molly? Molly, dear?" Arthur's voice rang out through the otherwise silent kitchen. Molly didn't even bother answer. "Molly, the chicken's on fire!"

Arthur ran forward, his wand outstretched and ready to put out the roaring fire Molly hadn't even noticed in her despair. One the flames were safely put out, Arthur sat down next to his wife at the table. Molly managed to crack a smile, but she knew it must look different-it had no real meaning behind it.

"Molly, dear, what's wrong?" he asked, placing a comforting hand on her arm.

"All our children are gone." Molly muttered, half hoping Arthur wouldn't hear her.

"Pardon?" Arthur sounded confused. Molly looked up into his eyes, and saw he looked faintly worried. "Molly, our children aren't gone-they may have grown up, but they're still here-"

"No, Arthur," Molly insisted. She needed to make him understand this. "They're not coming! Not this year, they're not going to be home for Christmas! They've always come home for Christmas, no matter what they were doing; they've always made the effort! Not this year …"

"They have their own lives now," Arthur said softly. "But they're still our children-they'll always have a home here, and they know that."

"But they're not coming back, Arthur." Molly said, wishing she could run to the door and scream out into the night, scream at her babies to come home to her. "That's exactly my point! They're gone, all of them! Even Ginny, Arthur-she's at Harry, Ron and Hermione's. Our youngest, our little baby, even she's gone."

"Molly-" Arthur began, sounding unsure.

"And Fred, Arthur," Molly continued, her voice turning desperate. "Our Freddie's gone! He's never coming back! If he's not coming home, what makes you think the others will?"

Arthur was quiet for a long time, and Molly couldn't look up from the table. She was sure she'd hit a nerve, and didn't want to have to face it. Sure enough, when she finally looked up, Arthur had a tear running down his cheek.

"You've thought about this for a long time, haven't you?" He asked quietly.

Silently, Molly nodded.

"Ah, Molly, Molly, Molly …" Arthur sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around his wife. Molly allowed herself to be pulled into Arthur's side, trying not to cry herself.

"Molly," Arthur was still whispering her name into her hair. "I know how you feel. I miss our children too. But they are all grown up now."

"Ginny still hasn't even left school," Molly sniffed. "Yet, she's sleeping over with Harry. You know I don't approve of that."

"Yet, you still let her go." Arthur pointed out.

This drew Molly up short. Well, true she did let her daughter go and stay … if she'd asked that a year ago; she'd have flat out refused …

"And Bill and Fleur," Arthur said. "Fleur's expecting a baby … you can't deny that they're their own family now."

Molly didn't say anything.. She didn't want to admit that Arthur was right.

"And all our boys …" Arthur sighed. "They've all left school. They're all of age. Even Ginny's of age. They love us, but they're on their own now."

"They'll never be on their own, not while I'm around!" Molly said fiercely. She pulled herself out of Arthur's arms to grab her wand and stand up. "I'll go hunt them down and drag them home if I have to!"

"Molly!" Arthur gave a short laugh and pulled her back into her seat again. "I doubt they'll want to come with you smashing down their doors, looking like you did the time the twins set Ron's bed on fire."

"I did kind of lose it then." Molly muttered. She indeed remembered walking into Ron's room when he was five, only to find the bed crackling with flames.

Arthur gave a small laugh again. "They all said they'd be here for dinner. That's something, right?"

"I know," Molly sighed. "I just wish we were all here. Together."

"The war didn't really let us do that, did it?" Arthur said. They sat in silence for a long moment, Molly wishing her husband wasn't so damn comforting-it'd be nice to prove him wrong once in a while.

"Arthur?" She asked after another moment of thinking.

"Yes?"

"They will come home … eventually. Right?"

Arthur gave her a smile and took her in his arms again. "Of course, Molly. You're their mother."

Molly smiled herself. "I guess I don't have to make the presents right away."

"And you don't have to cook to feed an army." Arthur agreed.

"Or make sure Percy's not hold up in his room all day."

"Or watch Ginny doesn't burn herself in the kitchen."

"Or confiscate wands!"

"Not that they were allowed to use them in the first place …"

"Why on earth did we give the twins toy wands for Christmas of 85?"

Molly couldn't help but burst into laughter. "That was your idea."

Arthur laughed with his wife and they fell silent again, remembering. Sure, Christmas with the Weasley Family was normally a disaster zone, but even though there was so much havoc …

Well, Molly loved Christmas.

She loved her family together, no matter how much got broken. And this was why she wanted to be together. Why she wanted her babies to come home.

"They'll come, Molly," Arthur whispered to her, as if he could read her mind. "Of course they will."

And on Christmas Day, they did.

-Fin.

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A/N: Few, i haven't written a oneshot in ages. Just in time for Christmas, too!

It's funny, i love Molly's character, but i've never ever written her before. So here you go.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! I'm not sure what the time is everywhere else, but here in NZ, we're having Christmas breakfast! My Dad's cooking bacon on the BBQ, lol.

So i hope you all liked, remember reviews are always appreciated, until next time-

-Moon. : D


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